Three-years-old Alisha of Harbanspura Lahore was playing in the street when she fell in an open manhole and died. This is one of the many cases of this nature which occur every so often. WASA, which is responsible for replacing manhole lids and looking after thousands of manholes, is not the only one to blame. We must also look into other aspects of this problem. Serious irregularities, bribery, corruption and crime are rampant in Pakistan because the culprits are not caught and punished. The manhole covers are removed (stolen) by miscreants and sold to junk dealers who in turn sell the lot to furnaces or steel mills where they are melted to make pig iron. The depth of corruption and crime our country has touched now necessitates taking some revolutionary steps. I propose we promulgate the law that those who steal the manhole covers and those who buy them will both be liable to a punishment of five years rigorous imprisonment. Then, monitor the outcome of this step and wait for the result. I am sure many precious lives of innocent children will be saved. -RAFI NASIM, Lahore, via e-mail, October 27.